CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Feb. 8, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- PointRoll, Inc. (www.pointroll.com) has further enhanced its technical capabilities to meet the growing demand for online video ads. The enhancements all support one goal: to enable the highest quality video ads to reach the greatest number of consumers.
A 45% increase in allowable bit rates ensures the highest quality video at all user bandwidths, allowing advertisers to incorporate the richest video elements while optimizing the viewing experience for users. PointRoll has also enhanced video with Flash 8 capability, more granular reporting, improved encoding and compression as well as dynamic buffering for faster playback start times. As video ads out-perform other formats, PointRoll's technical prowess, commitment to innovation and 5+ years experience serving video ads position the company for continued leadership.
PointRoll has served more than 5 billion video ads and 600 unique campaigns over the past 12 months, and has found that video elements consistently improve the performance of online ads. PointRoll data shows that a full 42 percent of consumers who engage with video ads watch them through to completion.
PointRoll is best known for ads that combine video with other rich media elements, such as data collection, polling, dynamic data, reminders and downloads, to optimize results. In combining video with other ad interactivity, users are engaged beyond the passive viewing of video and remain on the brand longer.
"Demand for video ads is increasing exponentially because more eyes are moving online for content. Rich media is highly effective at capturing and holding people's attention," said Christopher Saridakis, CEO of PointRoll. "While it's clear that video can boost performance, it is important that advertisers continue to push beyond TV-like spots to take full advantage of the interactivity of the Internet, particularly as video inventory increases and the novelty diminishes."
"PointRoll offers the quality, scale and service that we were looking for in a video ad partner," said Ken Graffeo, EVP of Marketing of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "With PointRoll, we can target video campaigns effectively, track behavior in great detail, attract opt-in Web users who spend significant time-on-brand, and elicit an immediate response from those consumers."
Video enhancements announced today include:
-- 45% increase in bit rates, a significant increase over industry
standards, which allows advertisers to reach users with lush
visuals that help their messages stand out on the Web. It gives
ad developers the creative freedom to use rich graphics and
advanced design formats without compromising the average
consumer's ability to view ads.
-- Flash 8 quality and best-in-class delivery ensure that each Web
user sees the best possible version of each ad. Upgrades include
dynamic buffering based on individual user connection speeds and
gold-standard encoding and compression to reduce file size for
more manageable viewing and delivery.
-- Granular reporting, which provides robust insight into video ad
interaction. Now, advertisers will be able to review video
completion rates quickly and in greater detail, and refine
strategies accordingly. For example, an entertainment company
could pinpoint the moment when consumers stop watching a movie
trailer and adjust their approach.
"The most effective online video ads share three characteristics: Interactivity, quality and reach," said Tasia Malakasis, PointRoll's vice president of global product management. "Our technical enhancements change the boundaries of size and scope and introduce new possibilities for video ad campaigns. We're excited to keep pushing the limits of imagination with advertisers and agencies, and to continue to create ads that outperform industry standards."
Today's news comes just two weeks after PointRoll announced its partnership with On2 Technologies (AMEX:ONT), a leading digital video encoding and compression technology provider. The upgrades will be relevant to PointRoll's full range of video offerings, including expandable, full-screen, interactive, progressive and streaming video formats.
About PointRoll, Inc.
PointRoll, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), powers the most creative, engaging, and consumer-friendly ad campaigns on the Internet. Founded in 2000, the company enables advertisers, agencies, and online publishers to measurably increase conversion opportunity, brand awareness, creative expression, and message content -- without disrupting the user's online experience. PointRoll's proprietary technology platform delivers a suite of rich media products including: FatBoy(r) expanding ads, Tomboy(tm) universal 100K+, TowelBoy(r) snap-back units, BadBoy(tm) floating ads, and PaperBoy Local Delivery(tm), dramatically enhancing the impact of any Internet ad campaign. PointRoll's rich media experts support every campaign with full service including creative consultation and development, Q/A testing, and trafficking. PointRoll works with more than 500 advertisers and its technology is accepted by thousands of online publishers including Yahoo!, MSN and AOL. For more information, please visit http://www.pointroll.com.